[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 36 (Friday, February 23, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8200-8201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3085]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CO-923-1430-ET; COC-70704]


Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public Meeting; 
Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of the Interior proposes to withdraw three small 
sites totaling 22.36 acres of public lands from surface entry and 
mining for a period of 20 years to protect maternity roosts of 
Townsend's Big-eared Bats in Mesa, Montrose, and San Miguel counties, 
Colorado. This notice segregates the public lands from surface entry 
and mining for up to 2 years while various studies and analyses are 
made to support a final decision on the withdrawal application.

DATES: Comments and requests for a public meeting must be received by 
May 24, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Comments and meeting requests should be sent to the Colorado 
State Director, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80215-7093.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew J. Senti, BLM Colorado State 
Office, 303-239-3713.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant is the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) at the address stated above. The petition/application 
requests the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw, for a period of 20 
years and subject to valid existing rights, the following described 
public land from settlement, sale, location or entry under the general 
land laws, including mining laws, but not the mineral leasing laws:

New Mexico Principal Meridian

T. 47 N., R. 17 W.,
    Sec. 11, a metes and bounds parcel within the NW\1/4\NW\1/4\.
T. 49 N., R. 17 W.,
    Sec. 4, a metes and bounds parcel within the NE\1/4\NW\1/4\.
T. 43 N., R. 18 W.,
    Sec. 15, a metes and bounds parcel within the SW\1/4\NE\1/4\.

    The areas described aggregate 22.36 acres in Mesa, Montrose, and 
San Miguel Counties.

    The BLM petition/application has been approved by the Assistant 
Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, therefore, it constitutes a 
withdrawal proposal of the Secretary of the Interior (43 CFR 2310.1-
3(e)).
    The use of a right-of-way, interagency agreement, cooperative 
agreement or surface management under 43 CFR part 3809 regulations 
would not adequately constrain non-discretionary uses that could 
irrevocably affect bat maternity roosts.
    There are no suitable alternative sites, since the lands described 
contain the resources that need protection.
    No water rights will be needed to fulfill the purpose of the 
withdrawal.
    The potential for locatable minerals is considered to be low.
    The purpose of the withdrawal is to preserve old mine workings on 
three small sites on public lands that contain a unique and favorable 
physical environment for maternity roosts of the Townsend's Big-eared 
Bat, currently designated as a sensitive species by the BLM in 
Colorado.
    For a period of 90 days from the date of publication of this 
notice, all persons who wish to submit comments, suggestions, or 
objections in connection with the proposed withdrawal may present their 
views in writing to the BLM Colorado State Director at the address 
listed above.
    Comments including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the BLM Colorado State Office, during 
regular business hours, 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except holidays. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If 
you wish to withhold your name or address from public review or from 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your comments. Such requests will be 
honored to the extent allowed by the law. All submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

[[Page 8201]]

    Notice is hereby given that an opportunity for a public meeting is 
afforded in connection with the proposed withdrawal. All interested 
persons who desire a public meeting for the purpose of being heard on 
the proposed withdrawal must submit a written request no later than May 
24, 2007. Upon determination by the authorized officer that a public 
meeting will be held, a notice of the time, place, and date will be 
published in the Federal Register and a local newspaper at least 30 
days before the scheduled date of the meeting.
    This withdrawal proposal will be processed in accordance with the 
regulations set forth in 43 CFR part 2300.
    For a period of 2 years from the date of publication of this notice 
in the Federal Register, the public lands and minerals will be 
segregated as specified above unless the application is denied or 
cancelled or the withdrawal is approved prior to that date.
    Licenses, permits, cooperative agreements, or discretionary land 
use authorizations of a temporary nature which will not significantly 
impact the values to be protected by the withdrawal may be allowed with 
the approval of the authorized officer of the BLM during the 
segregative period.

    Authority: 43 CFR 2310.3-1(a).

    Dated: December 28, 2006.
John D. Beck,
Chief, Branch of Lands and Realty.
[FR Doc. E7-3085 Filed 2-22-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JB-P